NASA scientist quotes on 400 ppm carbon dioxide

[think]

NASA scientist quotes

Passing the 400 mark reminds me that we are on an inexorable march to 450 ppm and much higher levels. These were the targets for 'stabilization' suggested not too long ago. The world is quickening the rate of accumulation of CO2, and has shown no signs of slowing this down. It should be a psychological tripwire for everyone.

– Dr. Michael Gunson
Global Change & Energy Program Manager; Project Scientist, Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 satellite mission - NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory





CO2 concentrations haven't been this high in millions of years. Even more alarming is the rate of increase in the last five decades and the fact that CO2 stays in the atmosphere for hundreds or thousands of years. This milestone is a wake up call that our actions in response to climate change need to match the persistent rise in CO2. Climate change is a threat to life on Earth and we can no longer afford to be spectators.

– Dr. Erika Podest

Carbon and water cycle research scientist

We are a society that has inadvertently chosen the double-black diamond run without having learned to ski first. It will be a bumpy ride.

– Dr. Gavin Schmidt

Climatologist and climate modeler at NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies

More quotes:
http://climate.nasa.gov/400ppmquotes/

[daleanime]

1. kick, kick, kick.....

Some how I feel like this post will sink, please make me wrong on this.

[IADEMO2004]

2. one more kick

[longship]

3. Another kick. nt

[WhiteTara]

4. I fear our toes will be bloody before

anyone even notices, much less cares and even less inclined to do something. We are a species with suicidal tendencies on a planet that has a mandate to live. We are definitely a problem.

[Voice for Peace]

6. at least we'll get a bit of schadenfreude

seeing the deniers have their day of reckoning, as we all expire.

[WhiteTara]

11. Small comfort that!

But comfort none the less.

Don't forget to love and live as deeply and completely as possible...this may be your last chance.

[Voice for Peace]

14. thanks for the reminder.

every day seems to hold that possibility. all those possibilities.

[F4lconF16]

5. Kicking

Because these are the things we forget about in all the insanity of the rest of the world, and yet it's what we need to remember the most. While we dither about whether to elect a neocon or a wingnut for president, our planet is slowly and inexorably changing. Eventually that change will catch up to our senseless action. When it does, I hope I will be long gone, as it's not going to be pretty.

[mountain grammy]

7. Kicking times a million because

the only quote that seem to matter to Republicans is "climate change is a hoax" and everyone stayed home and put them in charge...

[volstork]

8. I would take issue

with Dr. schmidt's assertion that the societal choice has been "inadvertent." On the contrary, I think it is pretty clear, at least in the last 20 years, that we have petulantly chosen (through willfully ignorant elected officials) to continue on the path to destruction. There are many who are working hard to stall and reverse the damages of climate change, but until those whose pockets are lined by the fossil fuel industry are removed from power, we will remain in an increasingly precarious position.
Ultimately, the planet will be fine, we will just no longer be present on it.

[Enthusiast]

9. Geologists say there was acidification of sea water during the Permian extinction.

Well, that particular extinction was FAR WORSE than the extinction event that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. We are observing increasing acidification of the oceans. This is not good, people.

[defacto7]

20. Too little said about this fact.

I bring it up one in a while when appropriate. It's the big one and collectively the world just doesn't compute this killer. The ocean made us, the ocean will discard us just as easily.

[Enthusiast]

23. The ocean made us, the ocean will discard us just as easily.

This is my fear.

Imagine a world with a higher sea level and millions of lowland refugees streaming to higher ground all over the planet. The population is also faced with a seriously compromised source of protein from the sea. And that is probably the best possible scenario. Geez.

[DemandsRedPill]

10. choosing sides

There are those of us who have decided to choose sides and accept the findings of scientists and researchers in regard to CO2 accumulation in our atmosphere and its consequences and by actions choose to do nothing.

There are those who have been lead to question these findings and by default also do nothing.

I think I can say with some certainty that those who accept climate science and who also do at least something on a personal level to make changes in their own lives that help mitigate the production of CO2 are in a tiny minority.

Daily I'm surrounded by those concerned about climate change yet have not made even one real significant change in how they heat their homes, what they drive, what form of agriculture and food production they support,how many trips on airplanes they avoid, most importantly how many offspring they have ,etc etc.

Just shouting and wringing ones hands over this problem,or delegating all responsibility to government laws and dictates will not produce the desired result

To paraphrase old Smokey Bear "Only you can prevent CO2 generation"

[WhiteTara]

12. welcome to DU!

Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

[DemandsRedPill]

15. Simple? No!

Necessary?
Yes

Nothing of consequence is ever simple yet in many ways it still gets done when enough effort is put forth

Insuring failure on anything only requires one thing; do nothing.

[daleanime]

17. It's true that no one wants to admit....

our lives will change, one way or another.

[Moostache]

13. Without a violent and global revolution, its already game over.

The powers that be believe that THEY will survive and so what if billions of others die. They are blind to ANYTHING that doesn't discuss profits and they are in 100% denial that there is even a problem to address. When an asshat like Inhofe is in charge of the government response, we are well are truly fucked.

I tend to doubt that humanity exists beyond 2200 - civilization may only have another 50-75 years; if not much sooner when feedback loop really kick in. People remain focused on CO2 but the methane releases that have already begun are going to make that seem like a walk in the park. If by some miracle humanity dodges this bullet (and we better be Neo from the Matrix at this point) I wish to state to the future victors that saved the species, I am sorry that I could not do enough to stop this from happening.

[defacto7]

21. You speak the truth. n/c

[drokhole]

16. And it looks like we'll be right back over 400ppm before the end of this year...

...which didn't occur until March of this past year (due to annual cycles and fluctuations), and first only briefly crossed it (in recorded/human history) the year/cycle before. Levels, measured at the Mauna Loa observatory, can be monitored here:

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/weekly.html

[hatrack]

19. 400 ppm - which back in 2013 was a level breached only for a couple of days

This year, a couple of months, next year five or six months and very soon we'll never see anything below 400 for the rest of all of our lives.

[pscot]

18. K&R

[defacto7]

22. K & R